Galaxy Beef LLC is owned by Steve and Rita Miller and their sons, Randy and Russel. We live near Graham in northwest Missiouri where our family has been since the 1880s. I have moved three times in my life, yet haven't lived more than 1/2 mile from my birthplace. I have farmed all my life, raising corn, soybeans and hay and - for more than 20 years - operated our family hog operation. I now have the blessing of owning Steve Miller Insurance Agency, Inc. purchasing my father's business in 1996.

The groundwork for Galaxy Beef LLC was laid about 35 years ago when my father, Max Miller, gave me my first heifer. She wasn't Angus, but I learned my lessons from that first cow. She had a white tail head and it seemed during her lifetime we bred her and her heifer progeny to every color bull there was and in time, I had a whole heard of multi-colored cows with that white tail head. They were pretty to look at, but it was easy to see the differeces in quality between the different breeds. During the early 1990s, I made it my goal to breed everythig to Black Angus, because by then I had learned that Angus offered the best balance of all the positve traits that I was looking for in a cow.

In a few years, I had accumulated a herd that was black with a heavy Angus influence. Once again, I was tempted to use other breeds because I was primarily selling off the cow and thought I was giving up weight by not using some Continental breeding. For several years, we had served as a cooperator for Farmer's Hybrid hogs and I was intrigued by the science of heterosis and hybrid vigor. I purchases some Stabilizer bulls from Leachman Cattle Company (LCC) and in time, made a commitment to serve as a cooperator herd for LCC.

When my partner at the time wanted to break from the LCC system, he suggested that we raise Black Angus. Part of the allure for me in participting in the seedstock business is the analysis of the data, implementing it in the breeding program and then evaluating the results. What breed has more stats available than Angus? It seemed a natural fit for a number of reasons: I was already convinced of the quality of the overall breed of Angus cattle. We lived in Missouri, where Black Angus are the undisputed most popular breed of cattle. The size and scope of the database made the decision making process more complete. The opportunities abound for the purchase and sale of Angus cattle in the Midwest and Nationally.

So in the spring of 2003, Galaxy Beef LLC purchased their first Angus heifers at the Leachman Cattle Company sale and followed that up later in the year by purchasing many of the top females from their liquidation sale.

Since that time, we have continued to pursue quality genetics to add to our base from breeders all over the nation. We have tried to obtain those cattle which exhibit the most balanced quality. I have not purchased any animal strictly for her earning potential because her pedigree was the hottest thing going. Any animal purchased has been on what I would desire for a long-term contribution to the herd.

We came into the Angus business with little experience in the seedstock industry and have learned so much in the past years. I have tried not to waiver from the plan, to develop a herd where sustainablility and profitability are two qualities of our enterpise, building for a time when our sons can earn a living in this wonderful business. With God's help and to His glory we endeavor to presevere toward that goal.